Government’s restructuring has reached the Postal Service as Home Affairs Minister Edmund Hinkson explored options with postal workers, managers and union representatives.
But the Minister heard a litany of issues including staff shortages, acting positions, motorcycle loans, uniforms, and building maintenance.
Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Deborah Payne and Deputy Permanent Secretary Celia Pollard-Jones joined delegations of the National Union of Public Workers and Barbados Workers’ Union. The union groups were led by NUPW Acting General Secretary Wayne Walrond and BWU Deputy General Secretary Dwaine Paul.
Speaking during the meeting in the Minister’s Wildey office, Hinkson said a Cabinet paper on the reform of the BPS was being prepared, and should soon be up for consideration by ministers.
He stressed there was a need for postal reform, especially at a time when people access information at the click of a button, while the writing and posting of letters is diminishing.
He was supported by Acting Deputy Postmaster General Iris Lashley, who admitted that the postal service’s significant business was now from packages rather than social letters.
Declaring that there was a billion-dollar industry in packages and e-commerce, she reported that the BPS has seen an increase of between 25,000 to 100,000 packages per year.
“We would like to be able to handle the increase,” Lashley said, noting that efforts were already under way to see how they could harness some potential profits.
Consultants from the Universal Postal Union, the international organisation of national posts, were included in a national committee which was created to work on the reform, she said.
“We are looking at postal banking as a consideration,” Lashley said, as the post office also examines a Government proposal to go cheque-less, which would have an impact on those who cash their National Insurance cheques at various branches.
Acting Postmaster General Valeta Best said that over the years, the post office had ventured into other non-traditional areas, such as issuing application forms for passports and visas.
The BWU’s Paul noted that it was important to make the BPS “fit for purpose”, while ensuring that the livelihoods of the postal workers were protected at the same time. He also urged the management team to consider the other issues on the table, as they were critical to the everyday operations of postal workers.
Walrond of the NUPW echoed similar sentiments, noting that the union hoped to see all the outstanding issues being addressed within a reasonable timeframe.
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This is an example of a minister, senior employees, and the unions sits down to trash out a way forward for the department. Not what we saw at the Transport Board, and the SSA earlier. Hinkson has shown that he’s a big man walking in big shoes, and don’t need a D I Y Prime minister to address the issues in his ministry. Independent assistants are not too highly favored by madam D I Y though Hinkson.
The issue that will affect growth in the postal sector regarding the parcel postage is the recent tax on local credit card and online transactions. That increase will significantly reduce that revenue stream to the postal service.
Post Office going on the Block for Sale
No more Postmen, have to go Post Office to find out if mail is there for you, The days of Postmen delivering mail to your house coming to and end
and the Saga continues
Go BLP go you only got One Term
visited the very large very expensive Holetown post office building on very expensive beach front land just after 1 pm to buy 1 stamp. I was the only person there. 500 sq ft can do the same and will still loose us money. We can no longer afford this waste. There is a shortage of commercial space in Holetown. Visited the Libary. Same issue. Only place paying its way is the BRA office.Very long line up.
Very cleverly put Jerry we know what the underlying factors are, as you said prime real estate, globalism at its finest.
Blame the DLP. They did not know what they were doing. This administration when in opposition had ALL of the answers. What a thing.
‘We are looking at postal banking’ said the Minister. I wished that he had explained what he meant by Postal Banking.
Is he referring to the formation of a Post Office Saving Banks ,(POSB),similar to what obtains in the United Kingdom? Similar to what we had here in Barbados which was the springboard for the establishment of the Barbados National Bank (BNB) which was bought out by T&T?
There is a hole in my bucket, Dear Edmund, Dear Edmund!. Still a good idea.
The utilities, the Banks, the NIS and the other business houses in Barbados can come together and buy out, or finance the mail delivery section of the post office, as for many years now the Post-ie has become the Bill-ie.
Expand the role of the post office to collect government revenue. Why can’t I pay my Vat at any post office? Why can’t I renew my license at any post office? It’s all a matter of computer and software installation. Why can’t I pay my land tax at the post office? But no I must get in a long tail line at warrens or somewhere else to pay my land tax! If by your own admission the post office is under utilised then install the necessary software so we can utilise it.
John,have you ever paid your water bill at the Post Office? The are a bit tardy in submitting the transactions to the BWA,and as a result the next bill comes out with arrears,and the usual threat of disconnection. Perhaps they should establish a Sure Pay desk at each post office.